Innovation and Smart Specialisation SEMINAR BASED ON THE EU STRATEGY FOR THE BALTIC SEA REGION. Tomasz Jałukowicz, PAC-INNO Oslo, NO

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1 Innovation and Smart Specialisation SEMINAR BASED ON THE EU STRATEGY FOR THE BALTIC SEA REGION Tomasz Jałukowicz, PAC-INNO Oslo, NO

2 The process behind the strategy guide (1) The Action Plan for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) from 2009 underwent a revision in In the revision, additional policy areas were included in the policy area of Innovation (PA-INNO); policy area small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), partly policy area Internal market and horizontal action Promo. Following this, it was necessary to operationalize the action plan for EUSBSR for policy area innovation to provide policymakers and innovation actors with guidance and inspiration. It was therefore decided to develop a Strategy Guide for policy area innovation (PA-INNO).

3 The process behind the strategy guide (1) The process of developing the Strategy Guide took place in three tracks: Research and Innovation - led by the Swedish Innovation authority, VINNOVA. This track carried out a questionnaire on need of transnational innovation collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region. Cluster Policy and SME development - led by Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (DASTI). This track resulted in the working paper Clustering and SME- Development. ICT and digital growth led by Baltic Development Forum (BDF) and Estonia s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. This track resulted in the working paper Transnational Digital Collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region as well as an annex on national profiles on digital policy for the BSR states.

4 The process behind the strategy guide (3)

5 Drivers of Innovation explanation (1) Market: Market-driven innovation is driven primarily by the need of business in existing industries to maintain their competitiveness by being innovative. BRS cooperation among firms and industries can help to build critical mass through the joining of forces. Knowledge: Complex knowledge-driven innovation that relies on scientific knowledge is of key interest to policy area innovation in the BSR given the potential for macroregional co-operation among academic institutions and research institutes. Challenges: The starting point for co-operating on challenge-driven innovation in the BSR must be shared challenges, i.e. challenges that are both specific and common to the BSR. Examples are; eutrophication and nutrient pollution of the Baltic Sea Such challenges cannot be tackled by a single actor but must be addressed in co-operation

6 Drivers of Innovation explanation (2) IDC West Sweden Skövde, SE The Art Academy of Latvia, Riga, LV Business Cooperation of Southern Lithuania, Alytus, LT The Faculty of Wood Technology-University of Life Science Poznan, PL Culminatum Innovation, Espoo, FI The Development Center UMT, Herning, DK

7 Policy Area Innovation in EUSBSR The role of policy area innovation is to foster innovation by: 1. Enable shared learning, 2. Create and strengthen networks across the BSR, 3. Align resources and regulations, 4. Facilitate the joining up of forces in common programmes and investments.

8 Cross-cutting themes, Innovation enablers and strategic policy instruments (1) Themes, enablers and instruments in focus to spur innovation: Common for themes, enablers and instruments are that they are best utilized without administrative boarder limitations.

9 Cross-cutting themes, Innovation enablers and strategic policy instruments (2)

10 Cross-cutting themes, Innovation enablers and strategic policy instruments (3)

11 Role/Results/Baseline/Target+deadline/Data

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13 ERDF MA network in EUSBSR Formed 19th of May 2016 in Warsaw The MA network explores the opportunity of transnational collaboration funded by the regional and national ERDF programmes. Cooperation activities that contribute towards the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Activating Common Provision Regulation Art. 70, The ambition: Increase the geographical flexibility of ERDF funds, in order to better contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy for the BSR. Initial focus: Policy Area : PA-Innovation Innovation policy applied: Regional Smart Specialisation Strategies Topic for pilot: Clean-tech

14 EUSBSR and ERDF in Sweden Activities outside the programme area (Art. 70) Activities financed within a project s existing budget, by one programme Transnational Component An already ongoing project is given the opportunity to apply for additional funding for cooperation activities in the macro-region. An add-on, the Transnational Component, is applied for separately in order to give extra flexibility in terms of time and thematic focus of the co-operation activity. Macroregionally Integrated Project From project start, transnational co-operation is included as an integrated part of the project. Partners from other member states in the BSR are identified from the beginning, and intend to apply for funding (in the respective ERDF programme) to take part in the project. Regional project Transnational component Co-operation Co-financing: desired by not required Partner (project) in other BSR country

15 Question; how to cooperate? 1. No Lead Partner Principle Probably separate decisions for each partner 1. Need of a coordinator for coordination of activities Driving the collaboration forward Ensuring that all activities are being interlinked and carried out according to plan Be responsible for internal communication with project stakeholders 3. The coordinator can be assigned to do joint project reports Be responsible for joint external communication of project activities 4. All partners can contribute to cover cost for project coordinator, and Art.70 in Common Provision Regulation can ensure eligibility. Not all regions taking part at the Regional Stakeholder meeting will be able to activate art.70, politically impossible. All regions view transnational collaboration important for S3 implementation

16 Strategic Policy Instrument Baltic Leadership/Executive Programme on Smart Specialization Multi-level coordination is especially expected to relate to: Development of smart specialization strategies 2.0: provide a transnational outlook, describe and identify type of regions, partners and activities appropriate for collaboration for all focus areas Align available funding instruments, ensure flexible use of funds from all levels to support transnational collaboration Create a local an regional commitment to task ahead, at all political levels as well as S-3 Strategists/Experts and innovation support actors. The scope of training: How to develop regional S-3 Strategies for transnational implementation? How to implement S-3 Strategies internationally? How to create local and reigonal political engagement and commitment for S-3 Strategy development and implementation with transnational activities?

17 Quite few current activities In the pipeline: A new pilot focusing on Digitalisation Seed money project funded by Swedish Institute Alignment of Funding Models in the Baltic Sea Region (AFM-BSR) Focusing on a match-making platform, region to region S3 collaboration. Seed money project approved 2017 by Interreg-BSR Smart Blue Regions, an Interreg-BSR project looking into the option of making use of the MA-network Workshop conducted (2017)

18 Other possible topics for collaboration A. Seed Money Calls To help initiating Smart Regional collaborations B. Flagship collaboration Regional interest to facilitate different flagship themes Possible flagship process around S3 C. Aligning to coordinated calls Cultural & creative industries internationalisation through model of coordinated calls (i.e. Innovation Express) Platform for SMEs to collaborate transnationally to spur innovation in regional selected S3 themes D. Facilitation, match-making and coordination Leadership to coordinate actions, match actors, facilitate identification of collaboration themes and support In case of S3, important to be a regional leadership to succeed with definition of collaboration themes Possible continuation of Alignment of Funding models?

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20 Thank you for your attention! For download of the Strategy Guide go to: For more information go to: